Archive
Yadkin Mastercatters
2010
Yadkin Mastercatters Hang Tough On Tillery
February 27, 2010
Info and Photos Courtesy of Yadkin Mastercatters, www.mastercatters2.com/index.php
When you can't bag a catfish of reasonable size out of the lakes, you know something's wrong with conditions. The Yadkin Mastercatters traveled to Lake Tillery this past weekend and the cold waters gave them the cold shoulder like all other anglers. Fifteen anxious teams showed up at the Cook's Marina landing in the wee hours hoping their skills might be what was needed to change fishing luck in the region. At day's end, the disappointment was obvious.
The 6:40 AM blast off saw boats headed both north and south on the lake as competitors headed for favorite haunts. “We only had six teams to weigh in fish,” stated Director Mike Chandler. “What we all found was a tough bite.”
First place went to Brad Holder and Josh Tuttle who had the only two blue fish limit of the day at 31 pounds. The team won $225. Second place went to Eric Fincher and Michael Chandler with 26.2 pounds. The pair also won Big Fish of the day with a 25 pound even blue cat. Total winnings were $210.
The final paying position went to Pat Shooter and Bill Shooter with 25.6 pounds. Their winnings totaled $90.
The Yadkin Mastercatters next stop is Badin Lake on March 13. That will be their final event of '09-'10 season schedule. The tournaments boast a one hundred percent payback on the $40 per boat fee. The group fishes a two-fish limit.
For more information about joining the group, contact Chandler at 704-699-2174.
Entry fee will be $40.00 per boat. $30.00 goes to the winners. $5.00 will go to Full details can be found on the Fishbyte.net Forums.
2009
Chandler And Fincher Win Yadkin Mastercatters Season Opener
October 10 and 11, 2009
If you like it really quiet and want to lake all to yourself when fishing, the season opener for the Yadkin Mastercatters may have been the best ticket in town. The group kicked off it's 2009 – 2010 season with an all-night event on Tuckertown Reservoir last weekend and some big catfish came away the losers.
The fall/winter series, directed by Mike Chandler, will spend the next five months on Tillery and Badin lakes using the Cook's Marina and Alcoa landings to stage events. The remaining competitions will be held during daylight hours, but one all-nighter during a season is a must-do, according to Chandler. “We like to include at least one event in the dark,” noted the director. “When it's a fall and winter schedule, it makes sense to do it in October before it gets too cold.”
Seven boat teams agreed and began their season on a night that threatened rain. A steady breeze blew throughout the turnament hours, but the rain held off. Anglers reported virtually no flow of water through the reservoir that night.
Chandler and partner, Eric Fincher, managed to be the most-active boat on the waters during the season opener, bringing a two-fish limit to the scales with a total weight of 54.4 pounds. Their largest catch, a 27.8 pounder, won Big Fish, while their second one, a 26.6 pounder, was the third largest caught during the competition. The long and dark hours earned them $126 for first and $35 for Big Fish.
The second-largest cat caught brought with it a second place finish for Jeremy Dowd, Chris Cole and Brian Needham. Their 26.8 pounder was part of a 46 pound-even total catch. They won $84.
Third place, just outside a paying position, went to Tim Caviness, who landed 12.6 pounds. The fourth boat weighing in was Crystal and Scott Thacker, who found an even 9 pounds.
“We caught them both on white perch,” noted Chandler. “We caught the smallest of the two at 10:30 last night and didn't get the second one until 3 this morning. It was a long night of waiting.”
The Series moves on to Badin Lake on November 7th and will begin at safelight and fish until 3 PM. Entry fee for each boat is $40. Payout spots vary depending on the number of boats entered. A portion of the entry fee goes to the Big Fish pot. All events are open to any catfish anglers and registration is done at the landing prior to each event. For more information, contact Director, Mike Chandler at 704-699-2174 or visit the group's web site at http://www.mastercatters2.com/.